Foreword from the British High Commissioner to Malaysia, Vicki Treadell CMG, MVO

With the triggering of Article 50, the UK Government’s ambition is to build a Global Britain – a nation that is outward-looking and internationalist, rejecting insularity and continuing to play a prominent role in global affairs. Trade is central to this ambition.

As we open a new chapter in our nation’s history, the UK Government will seek to strengthen the economic and commercial ties that unite Malaysia and the UK.

To realise this, the UK Department for International Trade (DIT) is now orchestrating a whole of government approach to exports and inward investment, delivering for our customers, the UK economy, and the UK government. Our aim is to make the UK the easiest country in the world to trade with by making it easier, faster and simpler for more UK businesses to start exporting.

The UK and the UK brand are well respected in Malaysia, building on our longstanding historical ties. As a result, Malaysia is now a hugely significant trading and investment partner for us, with bilateral trade standing at over £4 billion.

We enjoy a high level of senior engagement: former Prime Minister David Cameron visited Malaysia twice (in 2012 and 2015). A good number of senior UK Government Ministers, the Lord Mayor of the City of London, the Mayor of London, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have also visited over this period and others since. The appointment of Richard Graham MP as Trade Envoy to Malaysia in early 2016 further reinforces the importance of this relationship.

We are starting from a strong base, but our ambition is to grow our trading relationship still further. My DIT and wider High Commission team and our partner, the British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce, stand ready to support you.

I hope this guide will encourage you to take advantage of all that we and Malaysia have to offer. I look forward to seeing many more of you out here in the future!